Channel 42 on Mt. Diablo, CA (was: Re: [BC] P.O.ed...)

[Alan Kline]

Hi, Steve!

I can't imagine that any new sites would get past the environmental review
these days, but it's also hard to think that any existing sites would be
forced to go dark.  There's a lot of 2-way up there, and some ham repeaters.
But, I'd guess that 90% of 42's value was the license and TX site--the studio
equipment sure wasn't much to write home about. Come to think of it, I can't
imagine modifying that site for DTV--I wonder how they did it?

I always thought the "environmental" excuses were a load of crud.  IIRC, the
claim was that the environmentalists wanted to preserve the views, but down
in the city it was hard to see the towers there most of the time, even if 
one knew where to look.  You certainly couldn't see the buildings. It wasn't
a NIMBY thing so much as it was BANANA--Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near
Anything...

Yes, I know the RF shadows in SF well...when my wife and I were first married,
we lived briefly at her grandmother's house in the Richmond district.  
Actually, it was probably a halfway decent shot from Diablo--the shadow areas
were in Oakland and Berzerkley, to say nothing of the Coastside. We had trouble
with the Sutro stations, but Diablo came in pretty well.  Whoopee.

I only vaguely remember the FM you're talking about, but from what others have
written here, IIRC, KPIG sounds right.  KNTV was on Loma, until NBC managed to
rewrite the Table of Allocations, and I think KICU and the San Jose PBS are
still there.

Glad you enjoyed the pics!  You're right, those are great memories.  Lousy
money, but great memories, and several friends then who are friends to this
day...  Well, heck...as long as we're talking memories, here's a couple more:

http://www.snugglebunny.us/KFCB 2.jpg is yours truly, as a much, much younger
camera jockey (and boy, do I wish I still had that brown hair...) and

http://www.snugglebunny.us/KFCB 1a.jpg is a better picture of one of the RCA
TK-761's.  (Barry, if you'd like that for the RCA section at oldradio, please
do!)

ak

------ At 12:20 AM 1/26/2006 -0600, The Most Honourable Steve wrote: -------
>What memories!
>
>I didn't think they allowed any broadcast facilities up on Diablo anymore. I 
remember when KOVR-TV (Ch. 13) was up there. I could watch them clearly in the 
Sunset district (that's where I was raised). Those of you who know the SF 
topography know how many hills that has to climb over. Talk about unfair 
competition. You know how many markets they served? Crazy! Then there's Loma 
Prieta (South Bay...San Jose). 900 watt FM served 3 markets from there. What 
were the calls? KPIG or something? You might remember that one Al. Great pics. Thanks!